“I’ve been watching the moon set behind you guys all night,” Taylor Rice told the more than 5,000 Local Natives fans who nearly filled the Greek Theatre on Friday Night. Throughout the set, and more than his three band mates and touring bassist, he took everything in, disbelief and wonder written on his mouth and in his eyes.

“I must be seeing things with rose-colored glasses,” Rice added. “Even that staircase over there with all the lights on it looks beautiful.”

Nine months ago, I interviewed Local Natives ahead of their stunner of a second album, Hummingbird, and the group’s co-vocalist specifically mentioned the Greek as a goal, a place they would be thrilled to play. Knowing that, it was clear why the night affected him so profoundly.

The Silver Lake-based, Orange County-bred band – Rice along with fellow guitarist Ryan Hahn and multi-instrumentalist Kelcey Ayer all attended Tesoro High School – didn’t need special lenses to see the level of success it has reached. Much of Friday’s young crowd stood for the entire set, with Rice needlessly urging sitters to stand on more than one occasion.

Local Natives aren’t always the most upbeat music for weekend fun, but their set in Griffith Park was paced so well that the slow songs never led the audience to slouch. Indeed, they sounded better than at previous stops at Coachella and smaller venues like the Fonda, El Rey and Satellite. This has become that rare band better seen on a big stage than in a cramped club.

The first half of the Natives’ set was heavy on material from their first album, Gorilla Manor, including three ringers following opening cut “Breakers” that assured fan investment. Seamlessly transitioning into the rubbery rhythm of “World News,” the band then followed it with another favorite, “Wide Eyes,” and their Talking Heads cover, “Warning Sign.”

Mid-set inclusions of “Shape Shifter” and “Camera Talk” clued in the audience that the group would play an expanded set this evening; for Local Natives to fill 90 minutes, they have to leave the cabinet pretty bare. Of newer material, standouts included the slow-moving locomotive “Mt. Washington,” dedicated to the residents of Los Angeles, and “Woolly Mammoth,” led by percussionist Matt Frazier’s remarkably difficult yet tight drumming. He makes it look so easy that it’s hard to believe there isn’t a second drummer somewhere behind a curtain.

The night progressed naturally into a series of highlights, each more grand than the next. “Bowery” began and a curtain opened behind the band – not revealing a drummer but rather a wall of shining light bulbs, adding a new dimension to their already dramatic stage show. They concluded the main set by moving Frazier onto a small two-tom kit for an acoustic arrangement of “Who Knows Who Cares,” originally prepared for their Take-Away Show for La Blogotheque.

As the song peaked with plenty of audience participation, the band beamed with pride while the hanging light bulbs increased to their most powerful luminance, as if manifesting their emotions.

For the encore, Ayer spoke about another special aspect of this night: being able to play for their families. Earlier, Rice mentioned this fact with gratitude, thanking the band’s parents for putting up with their noise and instability. (Ayer added: “We’re not doctors”)

But this aside was different, as Ayer instructed anyone who saw his father and siblings to give them a big hug, then proceeded to play “Colombia,” a song penned about the death of his mother from cancer during the making of Hummingbird. Several times his voice nearly gave out from the emotional strain, yet he kept it together, allowing the fun to return with “Heavy Feet” and “Sun Hands” to close the show, that last song further enhanced by incredible lighting surprises timed to certain key moments.

As homecoming shows go, this one was flawless, leaving some fans singing the final number as they skipped to their cars – and Local Natives in need of a new measurement for success.

Kelcey Ayer sings to a home crowd at the Greek Theatre Friday night.
Kelcey Ayer of Local Natives impresses by simultaneously singing, playing percussion and keyboards during the band's debut at the Greek Theatre Friday night. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Ryan Hahn completes a three-part harmony with Local Natives at the Greek Theatre. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Taylor Rice takes the lead for Local Natives in L.A. Friday night. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Taylor Rice focuses on his guitar work as Local Natives played their biggest L.A. show yet Friday night at the Greek Theatre. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Ryan Hahn strikes a pose for Local Natives at the Greek Theatre in L.A. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Local Natives fulfilled a lifelong dream by headlining the Greek Theatre Friday night. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Local Natives' Kelcey Ayer sings to a huge crowd at the Greek Theatre Friday night. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER
Wild Nothing's Jack Tatum opens for Local Natives at the Greek on Friday. PHILIP COSORES, FOR THE REGISTER

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